More opioid prescriptions, overdoses among whites than other ethnicities

Whites were more likely to receive prescriptions for opioids and were more likely to die of an overdose, according to two new studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine. A third study indicated that overall opioid prescribing was decreasing in the majority of counties in the United States.These findings that the opioid crisis is affecting whites at a higher rate is a stark contrast to previous drug-related health concerns, according to researchers.“Most drug epidemics in the United States have disproportionately affected nonwhite communities,” Joseph Friedman, MPH, from the David